Thursday, June 6, 2013

Two Blogs of Possible Interest

First up is Michael J. Galban's Edge of the Woods. Galban works for the Finger Lakes State Park division of New York State's Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation agency, and more specifically as interpreter at the Ganondagan Site, a reconstructed seventeenth-century Seneca site. His blog contains carefully fleshed-out essays on various aspects of Aboriginal material culture. Recent posts have covered, for example, the shape of canoe paddles, or Native figures in the art of George Heriot. Absolutely fascinating stuff.

Also of interest is Jason Melius's "A Parcel of Strouds, Duffields, Blankets, Silver Trinkets and other suitable Articles for that Trade." Not just a blog, but rather a mix of blog posts and more conventional articles, this site is an exploration of the material culture and trade of the Native peoples of the American Southeast in the eighteenth century, particularly during the wars of 1754-1763 and 1775-1783. Much of Melius's content is aimed at reenactors, but his research and insights can be appreciated by a somewhat broader audience of historical aficionados.